Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1887-06-17
AMONG DRY BONES.
Where Many Human skeletons Are
Prepared for sale.

| Prepared for sale.
A correspondent of The Medical Press, OF
| London, communicates TO that journal the
| following account Of q skeleton mandatory,
which he receney had an opportunity OF visit
| ing. The establishment is located In the
plain of st. Dennis France, and consists of
large wooden buildings, comprising one main
structure and several aunexes.
| The large hall contains two rows Of immense
kettles, the emanatlons from which are, as
| might be supposed far fr ON agreeable, even
| TO an olfactory apparatus used to the atmos-
phcre OF dlssectIng room. These kettles
serve for Kidding the bones of their adherlng
tendons through boiling. The dlsartlculatlon
of the skulls which is performed separately,
constitutes the most delicate part Of the opera
tion In the case of children or young adulta
It Is effected through an ingenious process
consisting In filling the cerebral cavity with
dry peas and then immcrsing the skull in
water Through the effect OF such immersion
the peas swell aud bring about dislocatlon
OF the most delicate sutures.
After the bones have been submitted TO q
prolonged boiling they are carried to tables,
where young women carefully scrape them in
order to free them perfectly from the soft
tissues that adhere TO them. Certain special.
lists obtain very high wages for this work, es.
peciaIy those who prepare very delicate bones,
such AS those Of frogs, lizards, etc.
After being scraped the bones are bleached,
either through the action of chloride of limo
for cheap skeletons or tina of the sun for high
priced ones Finally they go to a special work.
room, where they are assembled, mounted up.
on brass, and articulated.
These final operations require profound
knowledge of osteology along with an artistic
eye In fact, 1t is necessary TO select from
collection of all sorts Of bones those that can
be well enough assembled to look as If they
came from one and the same individual The
others are sold singly for the use of students
OF limited means, who are content with por-
tion OF an unmounted skeleton. 1t II is Curl
Gus to find that sex has great influence on
the market value of the bones, beautiful
female skeleton being usually worth 20 or 25
per cent. more than a male one of correspond
Ing quality.
Special ettles are devoted to children, from
those OF the rudimentary age up to those Of
Q to 3 years. These skeletons are arrang.
ed In show cases, in ascending series, from the
miniature three and four inches IN height up
to the baby of twenty or thirty inches. These
little skeletons have proportionately greater
value than those of their adult brothers.
1t may naturally be asked whence all the
cadavers come. Some OF them IL appears, are
furnished by the hospitals and dissectiug
rooms, and others by the prisons. As a gem
eral thing, the supply has been less than the
demand, but In recent times the abundance
and cheapness Of skeletons of Austrian origin
have considerably depressed the market New
ertneiess, despite the Industrial and com.
'mercial crisis that prevails throughout the
world, the industry under consideration seems
TO be In iourlshing condition.